Transport and Trucking News

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Are you ready for slick wet-weather roads?

by
Charlotte Freed
| Dec 07, 2018

Where is the safest place to drive when the rain comes down? It turns out Brownsville, Texas ranks as the safest-driving city in the U.S. when factoring in precipitation and frequency of collisions. Following Brownsville as safest in wet-weather-driving are Kansas City, Kanas; Huntsville, Alabama; Boise; Idaho; and Madison, Wisconsin. Allstate released these rankings in one section of 2018 America’s Best Drivers Report, which ranks the 200 largest cities in America on driver safety in precipitation. Texas leads the list with multiple cities with lower numbers of collisions in inclement weather while Glendale, Calif.; Worcester, Mass.; Washington, D.C.; and Boston took last rank with Baltimore at 200.

According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHA): "On average, there are over 5,748,000 vehicle crashes each year. Approximately 22% of these crashes – nearly 1,259,000 – are weather-related. Weather-related crashes are defined as those crashes that occur in adverse weather (i.e., rain, sleet, snow, fog, severe crosswinds, or blowing snow/sand/debris) or on slick pavement (i.e., wet pavement, snowy/slushy pavement, or icy pavement). On average, nearly 6,000 people are killed and over 445,000 people are injured in weather-related crashes each year."

The predictions of El Niño developing are high which will lead to a wet season for the southern tip of the country into the Mid-Atlantic region. For any and all driving in severe weather, particularly professional drivers, it’s vital to take proper safety measures. Refresh on how to safely drive in wet and inclement winter weather and watch Centerline Drivers’ free informational video on how to apply snow chains to your truck. When the frost forms, the rain pools, or snow gathers – you’ll be grateful you took the time to prepare.